Africa: Seventh African Development Forum to Focus on Climate Change
By Peter Omondi
The seventh African Development Forum (ADF VII) will be convened from 10 to 15
October under the theme, “Acting on Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa’’ at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In line with past such forums, ADF is a collaborative initiative by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The theme chosen for ADF-VII has been described by the organizers as "timely and significant as the current and projected impact of climate change on Africa’s development requires “tangible and workable development policies, strategies, programmes and practices.”
ADF-VII will also provide a multi-stakeholder platform to discuss Africa’s concerns and interests in preparation for the 16th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010. In this regard, the Forum will aim to gear up partnerships to raise awareness about Africa’s concerns and expectations for a post-2012 global climate regime.
ADF-VII will assemble more than 800 experts in the field of climate change and sustainable development to dialogue and share experiences through plenary, parallel, high-level panel sessions and side-events featuring keynote speakers, presenters and media personalities.
The Forum’s programme will address Africa and global climate change challenges in relation to governance as well as how to finance adaptation and mitigation actions. Other areas of focus will include harnessing technology for adaptation and mitigation and building capacity for adaptation and mitigation.
The African Development Forum is an ECA initiative intended to advance an Africa-driven development agenda. It presents a unique opportunity to connect African decision-makers with the best policy advice, informed by credible analytical work and relevant experiences. ADF aims to initiate dialogue, build consensus and mobilise partnerships around African stakeholders' goals.
All six previous forums have helped launch new initiatives and activities, as well as important blueprints that have had wide ranging impacts.